Anne Killigrew

An Epitaph On Her Self.

Extemporary Counsel Given To A Young Gallant In A Frolick.

As you are Young, if you'l be also Wise,Danger with Honour court, Quarrels despise;Believe you then are truly Brave and Bold,To Beauty when no Slave, and less to Gold;When Vertue you dare own, not think it odd,Or ungenteel to say, I fear a God.

First Epigram: Upon Being Contented with a Little

1 We deem them moderate, but Enough implore, 2 What barely will suffice, and ask no more: 3 Who say, (O Jove) a competency give, 4 Neither in Luxury, or Want we'd live.5 But what is that, which these Enough do call? 6 If both theIndies unto some should fall, 7 Such Wealth would yet Enough but onely be, 8 And what they'd term not Want, or Luxury. 9 Among the Suits, O Jove, my humbler take; 10 A little give, I that Enough will make.

The Third Epigram

On an ATHEIST.Posthumus boasts he does not Thunder fear,And for this cause would Innocent appear; That in his Soul no Terrour he does feel,At threatn'd Vultures, or Ixion's Wheel,Which fright the Guilty: But when Fabius toldWhat Acts 'gainst Murder lately were enrol'd,'Gainst Incest, Rapine,—straight upon the TaleHis Colour chang'd, and Posthumus grew pale.His Impious Courage had no other Root,But that the Villaine, Atheist was to boot.

A Farewel To Worldly Joys

FArewel ye Unsubstantial Joyes, Ye Gilded Nothings, Gaudy Toyes, Too long ye have my Soul misled, Too long with Aiery Diet fed: But now my Heart ye shall no moreDeceive, as you have heretofore: For when I hear such Sirens sing, Like Ithaca's fore-warned King, With prudent Resolution IWill so my Will and Fancy tye, That stronger to the Mast not he,Than I to Reason bound will be: And though your Witchcrafts strike my Ear, Unhurt, like him, your Charms I'll hear.

Herodias' Daughter Presenting To Her Mother St. John's Head In A Charger, Also Painted By Her Self

Behold, dear Mother, who was late our Fear,Disarm'd and Harmless, I present you here; The Tongue ty'd up, that made all Jury quake,And which so often did our Greatness shake;

No Terror sits upon his Awful Brow,Where Fierceness reign'd, there Calmness triumphs now; As Lovers use, he gazes on my Face,With Eyes that languish, as they sued for Grace; Wholly subdu'd by my Victorious Charms,See how his Head reposes in my Arms.Come, joyn then with me in my just Transport,Who thus have brought the Hermite to the Court.

On The Soft And Gentle Motions Of Eudora

Divine Thalia strike th' Harmonious Lute,But with a Stroke so Gentle as may suteThe silent gliding of the Howers,Or yet the calmer growth of Flowers; Th' ascending or the falling Dew,Which none can see, though all find true.For thus alone,Can be shewn,How downie, how smooth,Eudora doth Move,How Silken her Actions appear,The Aire of her Face,Of a gentler GraceThen those that do stroke the Eare.Her Address so sweet,So Modestly Meet,

That 'tis not the Lowd though Tuneable String,Can shewforth so soft, so Noyseless a Thing! O This to express from thy Hand must fall,

Love, The Soul Of Poetry

WHen first Alexis did in Verse delight, His Muse in Low, but Graceful Numbers walk't, And now and then a little Proudly stalk't; But never aim'd at any noble Flight: The Herds, the Groves, the gentle purling Streams, Adorn'd his Song, and were his highest Theams.

But Love these Thoughts, like Mists, did soon disperse, Enlarg'd his Fancy, and set free his Muse, Biding him more Illustrious Subjects choose; The Acts of Gods, and God-like Men reherse. From thence new Raptures did his Breast inspire, His scarce Warm-Heart converted was to Fire.

Th' exalted Poet rais'd by this new Flame, With Vigor flys, where late he crept along, And Acts Divine, in a Diviner Song, Commits to the eternal Trompe of Fame. And thus Alexis does prove Love to be, As the Worlds Soul, the Soul of Poetry.